The Witch Of The North
by MidnightRaven323
Summary: When Gandalf hears of Thorin's quest,he calls on an old friend to aid their Company on the treacherous journey to reclaim Erebor and the long forgotten gold... But between Thorin's mistrust,Bilbo's sword training and the constant threat of death,they've forgotten that not all treasure is silver and gold...Kili/OC I DO NOT OWN THE HOBBIT. Only Rina,my oc and the story line
1. A Hobbit and a Ranger

**An idea that popped into my head a day after watching The Hobbit :) Forgive me if my information is wrong,I haven't read the book yet and most of this will be relying on my imagination,the movie,other fanfics and a fair bit of research. Maybe AU ish for timeline issues?**

**Summary : "Gandalf,I have heard of this Witch of the North,how do I know she can be trusted?". When Gandalf hears of Thorin's quest,he calls on an old friend to aid their Company on the treacherous journey to reclaim Erebor and the long forgotten gold... But between Thorin's mistrust,Bilbo's sword training and the constant threat of death,who knew there would be something more precious than gold? Kili/OC.  
**

**The Witch of the North  
**

To say that Bilbo Baggins was frustrated and angry would be an understatement - he was almost livid.

Just this morning he had met Gandalf,who had asked him to join an adventure of sorts and a hunt for treasure. Being the Hobbit he is and forgetting his Took blood,he politely declined,but not without inviting the wizard to tea later on.

However,instead of just the wizard,twelve dwarves had invaded his home :Gloin,Oin,Ori,Nori,Dori,Dwalin,Balin (The oldest by far),Bifur,Bofur,Bombur, and the two youngest brothers,Fili and Kili.

"There is no more room for any more dwarves in my pantry!" Bilbo cried out frustrated as the hulking men kept passing him with dishes piled high with food in their hands.

Gandalf,who was lazily watching the whole procession grinned down at the hobbit with a pipe in his mouth,"Not to worry Bilbo,there is only one more dwarf to wait for in our Company"

The hobbit began to wring his hands and began to rant about dwarves invading his house and tramping their mucky boots everywhere,much to the wizard's amusement. Just then,a quiet rap at the front door silenced the rowdy dwarves almost immediately. Bilbo mad his way hesitantly to the door,smoothing his hair and fixing his appearance before reaching for the doorknob. He felt quite self conscious as thirteen pairs of eyes followed his every move.

The atmosphere changed drastically as a large dwarf with long,thick hair that contained streaks of silver with a dark beard to match stood at the door. The aura he radiated almost commanded respect.

"Bilbo," Gandalf began,"May I introduce Thorin Oakenshield,the leader of our Party and King of his people" he introduced.

Some time later,the dwarves along with Bilbo and Gandalf sat around the dining table with Thorin sitting at the head. Seeing as it was getting dark out,the hobbit made a move to light the hearth.

"What are you doing?" Thorin asked.

Bilbo looked up at him almost startled,"I thought we could use some light,it's getting dark out" he explained.

"We like it dark" Gloin shrugged.

Thorin nodded,"Dark for dark business"

Just as he said that,another soft rap came at the door.

The dwarves looked at each other confusedly,with Bilbo even more confused,"Gandalf,didn't you say there was only one more coming?And that was Thorin?"

The wizard smiled,closing his eyes and blowing out a ring of smoke from his pipe,"I believe I said that there was one more _dwarf_" he quoted,"Our last visitor is most certainly not a dwarf"

Bilbo's face contorted into a look of disbelief before the he wandered to answer the door,muttering things about senile wizards and messy dwarves.

As the remaining Company watched the hobbit leave,Thorin turned to Gandalf with a stormy look in his eye,"Who else did you ask,Gandalf?I specifically told you that all we needed was a burglar!" the angry king growled.

The wizard payed no heed to Thorin's hostility but answered calmly,"I merely asked an old friend"

* * *

After Bilbo left his visitors,once more he straightened out his appearance before once again turning the doorknob. After what Gandalf said about the last visitor not being a dwarf,Bilbo's imagination wandered and had thought everything from an elf to a goblin,however,he didn't expect what he saw.

The stranger on his doorstep was rather short,still taller than himself but only just reaching above the height of the tallest dwarves in the Company. There wasn't much for Bilbo to see other than the two swords criss-crossed over the stranger's back,everything else was covered by a dark grey cloak. The stranger also had their hood up,obscuring their face in the shadow of the hood.

The stranger then bowed a little before introducing them self,"Rina,at your service" they said,straightening up.

Bilbo was surprised,for he was certain that it was the voice of a woman that resounded from within the shadows of the cloak. Nonetheless,he bowed back,"Bilbo Baggins,at yours" he then straightened up,"I assume your here for the same reason as the rest of the company" Bilbo stated more than asked.

The stranger,Rina,nodded and followed him into his home and to where the rest of the Company was.

Thorin and his company perked up in interest as Bilbo returned with a hooded companion trailing behind him. A broad smile crossed over the wizard's face as he recognized the person's swords on their back.

"Master Burglar" Thorin nodded to Bilbo as he stood up,"And who,may I ask,is our hooded visitor?"

A slender,fingerless-gloved hand reached up from underneath the cloak to removed the hood from their face. To the dwarves' and Bilbo's surprise,the bronzed face of a young woman stared back at their wide eyes. The woman's raven hair tumbled out of the hood and cascaded down her back in a smooth waterfall as she merely blinked her silvery-grey eyes at them.

"Rina,at your service,m'lord" Rina said respectfully,bowing her head low to show respect.

Gandalf's voice boomed out as he chuckled,"I'm glad you made it,old friend" he smiled,putting his pipe back in his mouth to smoke again.

"I see you haven't changed since I saw you last,Mithrandir" the woman said,using the Elves' name for the wizard.

Gandalf nodded before addressing Thorin,"Thorin,may I introduce the other person I choose to accompany us on this Quest"

Thorin's face darkened into a look of disbelief. Surely Gandalf the Grey didn't intend to bring along a _woman_ of all things on a Quest like the one they would embark on. Many of his fellow dwarves were thinking the same things,women were meant to cook and clean and keep order of the house,not travel across Middle-Earth to slay a dragon.

Seeing their doubtful expressions,Rina tried to reason with them,"Gandalf requested me to join you on this Quest,that is why I came to the Shire tonight,to ask for your permission"

The dwarves looked to their leader curiously to see what his answer would be. Thorin regarded her carefully,he could see from the blades on her back she knew how to fight,but he was unsure how well or if she was skilled enough to even survive the first week.

"I admire your courage and bravery,Lady Rina,but this is no mere journey. This is not something we can afford to fail and I cannot guarantee your survival " Thorin said grimly,"Go back home. The Wild is no place for someone like you. You are but a child!" he exclaimed.

Gandalf,Bilbo and the other dwarves looked back at the woman,waiting for her reaction and searching for any sign of weakness. They found none except Fili and Kili's sharp eyes noticed that she has balled her left hand into a fist in anger,but her face did not betray her emotions. Instead,a coy smirk pulled at her lips.

"You are mistaken,Master Dwarf. No place for someone like me?The Wild has been my home for decades" she said,but then her expression darkened, "And I am not a child" a mixture of anger and sadness leaked into her now hushed voice,"_Not anymore..._"

A tense silence followed soon after. Everyone present repeated her words in their heads. What had she gone through to make such emotion pass into her words?

Thorin's brow furrowed in confusion,"You've been in The Wild for decades you say?How is that possible,you don't look any older than my nephews" he mused,gesturing to two young dwarves at the end of the table.

Both were equally handsome,but one was fair-haired and blue-eyed with a nice beard by dwarf standards while the other was raven-haired and dark-eyed with no beard at all,only stubble.

Gandalf took it upon himself to explain,"Rina is one of the Dunedain Rangers of the North. A descendant of Numenor,their lives are three times that of Mortal Men"

Bilbo's eyes widened,they lived just as long -or even longer- than hobbits!

Despite this new-found information,Thorin was not easily swayed,"Tell me,other than your lineage,what skills can you offer this Company and how can we count on you not to be a burden?"_ 'One burden is enough'_ he mentally added.

"I know the land" Rina replied,holding her head high,"Every valley and stream,I know that only one or two of you truly know the way to Erebor so what will happen if they're gone? Also as a Ranger,I am quite skilled with blades,though I am not as skilled with bows or spears. I assure you,my lord,I will be no burden" she insisted. She didn't travel all the way from where she was in Gondor to the Shire only to be turned away due to gender.

Gandalf smoked his pipe once more before speaking,"And if I remember correctly,she is quite a skilled tracker. I greatly suggest you allow her to join us,a bent blade of grass is enough a trail for Rina to follow"

Rina shot Gandalf a grateful look before waiting for Thorin's final decision.

Thorin fell deep in thought,his eyes met with each dwarf in his company,silently asking their opinion. By the time he had gone through all of them,only one was against letting the woman join them. After scanning through them one last time he turned back to the woman to give his answer.

When Rina heard it she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and tool the seat beside Gandalf in relief.

"So be it" he had announced,sitting back down at the head of the table,"Let us hope I didn't make the wrong decision"

"Uncle,you can't be serious!" the youngest dwarf exclaimed.

"Kili!" his brother,Fili,hissed,pulling his brother back down to his seat as their uncle shot them death glares,quickly shutting up his youngest nephew. It was Kili who agreed with Thorin that it was best she didn't join them.

She was quickly handed a contract and quill,like what Bilbo received earlier. Her eyes skimmed down the parchment before she signed her name at the bottom in her cursive calligraphy.

After that was sorted,Gandalf brought out an old map,placing it on the table. He quickly briefed Rina and Bilbo about their Quest before getting back to business.

"There is a secret door way in the side of the mountain,here" Gandalf prodded a finger at a spot in the map,"It is big enough for Men or Dwarf to pass through,but far too small for a large dragon such as Smaug"

The Company nodded and gathered closer,studying the old map intently.

"If it is a secret,how are we to find it?It tells us not how to open the door" Oin said,looking over the top of his small,round glasses with his eyes fixed on the aged ink.

"The map will have more to tell than meets the eye,you know as well as the rest of us how our people protected what was ours,with methods known only to a few" Balin scolded him quietly.

"More than meets the eye..." Rina's voice was barely audible as she thought,studying the map with keen eyes,"Moon Runes..." she breathed out.

"What was that my friend?" Gandalf asked.

"Nothing!" Rina said hastily.

"Hn" Gandalf didn't seem to believe her but let it go,"Oh, Thorin, I entirely forgot, this..." Gandalf exclaimed,changing the subject as he fished through a deep pocket in his robes,"Is yours. Your father entrusted it to me for safe keeping, until I had tracked you down, which, if I may say, was jolly hard." he handed the dwarf king an intricately carved key.

Thorin eyed the object carefully, as if unsure of its purpose.

"That is the key to the mountain door" he cleared,seeing a strange look in the king's eye.

"So" Bilbo piped up,with a Quest contract in hand,"If you have a key, why would you need a burglar? Me, especially?"

Dwalin looked up from the map with a look that the hobbit did not like,"We need someone small, someone who can go unnoticed, that can sneak past Smaug. A creature he will not readily know the smell of, as he certainly has the whiff of Dwarf up his nostrils"

"To a dragon like that,you would be invisible" Rina said.

Bilbo choked on the mug of tea he had made in an attempt to calm himself after the prior excitement of the evening,"Me? Sneak past a dragon? Oh, no no no, You will have to find your burglar elsewhere, I am a quiet Hobbit who likes to keep a quiet life" he said,placing the mug beside the contract.

"I had my doubts as to whether you would be able to help us" Gloin said in a deep and booming voice, his eyes narrowed at Bilbo.

"He can't even defend himself in battle Thorin, you know he would only weigh us down, there has to be another way" chimed in Nori, his voice also laced with a threatening tone.

"Bilbo Baggins has much to offer, he my hide it well, but I can assure you, he would be an ally on your journey." Gandalf insisted, trying to calm the sudden tension that had descended onto the room. All the dwarves eyes fixed on the Hobbit.

"I fear you are over estimating your friend Gandalf. He has shown to be nothing but a coward when talking about what we may come to face" Thorin muttered, his baritone voice barely above a whisper, but he still managed to command the attention of everyone in the room.

This night just kept getting better and better for Bilbo.

* * *

**First chapter done!In the next chapter or the one after that you'll probably see why she's called The Witch of the North. Please REVIEW,FOLLOW,or FAVORITE if you want me to keep going.**

**-MidnightRaven323  
**


	2. Setting Out and a Moment in History

**I never expected the amount of feedback I received in one day for only one chapter,thank you very much :) Hopefully in this chapter,or the next will clear things up about the title.**

**The Witch of the North  
**

"I don't think I can sign this" Bilbo sighed, "I don't think this is for me gentlemen, I'm sorry" he apologized,reading over the contract once again. Once he had read _'...in case of incineration'_ he immediately backed out. He ignored Rina's stern gaze and dropped the contract in front of Thorin,"You will need to find another burglar. I wouldn't be any use to you"

The dwarves looked at him with sad expressions and disappointment etched onto their features.

"Please make yourselves at home for the night gentlemen -and lady" he added," I am afraid I'm away to bed" and with that,Bilbo excused himself from their presence and walked down the corridors to his bedroom.

A heavy silence filled the air for a short while before Gandalf stood up and led them to the living room,muttering under his breath.

"He took that rather well,I half expected him to faint again" Rina commented,earning a smile from Gandalf.

* * *

Later that night,the Company sat around the hearth. Soon,the deep voices of thirteen dwarves filled the smokey,fire-lit, low ceiling hall,chanting a beautiful yet haunting tune. One that described the rise and fall of Erebor.

_"Far over the Misty Mountain cold_  
_To dungeons deep and caverns old_  
_We must away,ere break of day_,  
_To claim our long-forgotten gold"_

The long-forgotten gold...they sang of how they've fallen from the glories of their past. Now the once-great fortress only existed in memory...

_"The pines were roaring on the height_  
_The winds were moaning in the night._  
_The fire was red,it flaming;_  
_The trees like torches blazed with light"_

And the reason it now existed in memory was because of the dragon..._  
_

The story continued,telling the others about how their kind were forced to flee from their mountain home. Rina felt pity for them,they wandered now from place to place,seeking odd-jobs,never belonging anywhere or staying in one place. That was why they joined Thorin on this Quest,and for that she respected them._  
_

She herself wandered all over Middle-Earth and patrolling the northern borders due to her duty as a Ranger and because she chose to. If she wanted,she could always go back to Arnor or Rivendell,where Elrond was sure to welcome her with open arms. The Halfelven Lord had been her fatherly figure for decades,ever since that fateful night...

She had been so immersed in her thoughts and past that she failed to notice Gandalf shaking her slightly. It was then she noticed that the company had begun making themselves comfortable and a few had already dozed off.

"Will you be able to sleep or will this be another restless night?" Gandalf asked gently.

Rina's eyes wandered over the half-asleep dwarves,"I think I shall stay awake tonight" she answered.

Gandalf looked concerned but did not pester any further,"As you wish my dear. However,we set off tomorrow and I must ask you to remain with Bilbo" she was about to protest when he held up a hand to silence her,"I mean,wait here until he makes his decision. If he still chooses to stay,then I trust you are more than able to catch up"

"As you wish,Mithrandir" she sighed.

Rina then creeped quietly past the sleeping dwarves with feline grace and slipping silently out the door,aware that someone was watching her but she did not give it much thought.

That night,she merely waited for the night to pass,resting on the bench outside Bilbo's home.

* * *

Kili tossed and turned this way and that on his temporary bed beside his brother. No matter what he did,sleep eluded him like a plague. With an annoyed groan,he flipped onto his back and fixed his dark eyes on the low ceiling.

No one seemed to notice his discomfort,all of them were asleep save for Gandalf,who was talking quietly to the woman. After they had finished talking,he watched he as she snuck past his sleeping companions before slipping out the door without so much as a sound.

"Brother,I swear if you move on more time I will march Bombur beside you,then you shall have a reason to be awake" Fili sighed,his eyes still closed and still facing away from his younger brother.

"Apologies" Kili mumbled guiltily.

Fili's eyes flickered open as he turned over to face Kili,"Now that I'm awake,care to tell me why you're awake?"

"Just thinking" his brother answered.

Fili felt a smirk tugging on his lips,"About a certain ranger?I don't blame you,she is quite pretty" he barely suppressed his laughter as Kili's face turned crimson.

"Wh-what?What in Durin's name made you say that?!" he hissed quietly,so not to wake the dwarves still in their slumber.

"It's a brother's instinct" Fili retorted,"Now what possessed you to speak out against Uncle earlier?" he inquired.

In truth,Kili was actually not sure why he felt so against it,"I don't know" he murmured truthfully,but Fili still heard it.

His elder sibling gave an exaggerated sigh,"Ah,I believe I do" he smirked when Kili shot him a confused look,"You see little brother,there comes a time in life when,hm,how shall I say this...you see when a young dwarf such as yourself-"

"Fili,if you say anything about 'the birds and the bees' I swear to Durin I will kill you" Kili growled,turning away from Fili in embarrassment.

Fili grinned.

"Fili,Kili,go to sleep!" Thorin's voice commanded,"We set out at dawn"

"Yes Uncle!"

* * *

When Bilbo woke up the following day,he found his house to be strangely quiet.

"Hello?" he called out,walking through the corridors and peeking into every room,"Is anyone there?Gandalf?Rina?Thorin?" he called out.

When he reached the living room,he found tat no one was there,"Anyone here?"

"They've left"

Bilbo jumped in surprise. He then turned quickly around to see Rina leaning causally against a doorway,absentmindedly twirling a small knife between her fingers in one hand and holding the contract in the other.

Having taken off her grey cloak earlier on,he could see Rina wore a grey tunic underneath a darker coloured bodice of leather armor,along dark grey leggings and black boots. She also had a necklace with a strange,dark blue stone at the hollow of her throat,held in place by a tight black cord.**(A/N Basically a choker)**

At first,Bilbo had thought her only weapons were the two swords strapped on her back (and currently weren't on her) but now he could see that she two knife belts slung around her waist with four knives on either side of her. It seemed as if she favored the use of blades more than arrows or spears.

"Have you changed your mind?" she asked hopefully,holding out the contract and quill to him.

Bilbo took them hesitantly,deep inside of him he was conflicting with himself. His proud,Baggins blood screamed to be a proper hobbit and not go wandering off on a fruitless adventure,yet his Took blood screamed otherwise and told him that Tooks practically_ thrive_ in adventure.

Soon enough his Took blood won the battle and he hastily signed his name. The woman nodded in approval,handing him a bag that was already packed before strapping on her two swords and slipping her cloak on as Bilbo put on the backpack.

"We have no time to loose,hurry!" she said,dragging him out the front door and sprinting through the Shire with Bilbo struggling to keep up.

"Wait!You're going to fast!" he complained.

Rina scoffed,"You're going to slow!" she retorted.

* * *

Thorin's Company had only made it about a mile or so out of Hobbiton before loud panting was heard.

"Hold on!" Bilbo shouted,drawing up beside the ponies along with Rina,"I've signed it!" he panted,showing the contract to Thorin.

The dwarven king signaled over Balin and handed the elder dwarf the contract.

Balin scanned through the contract until he was satisfied with the signature. He then tucked the parchment away while Thorin gave out a few orders.

"Get them on ponies" he told them.

Bilbo immediately paled and began spewing out excuses about being able to keep up an not needing a pony.  
His excuses were ignored once Bifur and Bofur hoisted him up to a pony,much to the hobbits displeasure.

They were about to do the same for Rina when she held a hand to stop them,"It's fine,I don't need one" she said.

"And how do you expect to keep up?" Thorin asked impatiently.

"I have my own means of transportation" she replied,reaching into a hidden pocket on one of her knife belts,fishing out what looked like a thin silver whistle,"Keep a good hand on the ponies,make sure they don't bolt" she warned,putting the whistle to her lips.

They did as she said,keeping a firm grip on the ponies' reins,especially the ones without riders.

A sharp,yet melodic note escaped from the whistle as Rina blew into it quickly.

At first,all was silent,but then the thump of a large animal was heard. Some put a hand on their weapons,fearing the worst.

However,they were surprised when something large bounded through the bushes and landed beside the woman. The ponies reared in neighed in fright at the sight of a large wolf,just as big as the ponies,if not bigger. The great wolf had silver fur with black hairs mixed in and piercing ice blue eyes. A majestic specimen,obeying no-one and acting by it's own will.

The Company struggled with their steeds for a few moments,trying to desperately calm them down without being thrown off.

Rina saw their distress and began murmuring soothing words in Sindarin to the ponies,telling them not to be afraid. Once the pones were relatively at ease,she strode over to the wolf and began to stroke it's fur.

"What is_ that_?!" Bilbo exclaimed.

Rina grinned at them,"What's wrong,never seen a Mountain Wolf before?" she asked,climbing into the custom saddle on her wolf's back.

Bilbo shook his head fearfully.

Rina smiled,"Well,now you have. Company,this is Naule,Naule this is the Company"

The wolf,Naule,let out a quick bark as if in greeting. They then resumed the procession once again.

Gandalf smiled broadly at the wolf and his rider beside him,"Naule,last time I saw him he was just a pup,barely any bigger than a new born dog" he mused,"Now look at him,perhaps Narmotar would suit him better"  
**(A/N Ñaulë=Wolf-Howl in Quenya,Ñarmotar= Wolf King/Queen/Ruler in Quenya)  
**

Rina shrugged,"Too late to change his name now" she said,reaching down to scratch behind the huge wolf's ear,"Anyways,I shall speak with you again later,now that Bilbo's here,I believe Kili owes me something"

With that,she turned Naule around and rode to the back of the Company,smirking at Kili,"A bet's a bet"

He rolled his eyes and handed over a pouch of coins,his hand lingering a little longer than necessary. Following their lead,small bags of coins flew up and down the procession.

When Bilbo looked confusedly at Gandalf the wizard merely shrugged,"They placed wagers on whether or not you would change your mind" he explained as another pouch of coins flew his way.

Bilbo suddenly froze,"Wait!We have to turn back!"

"Why?" the dwarves asked.

"I forgot my handkerchief" the hobbit said glumly.

"It's in your bag,Bilbo!" Rina called from the back,much to the amusement of the two brothers she was riding with. The hobbit shot her a grateful look before their party continued on.

"I do not believe we have been properly introduced" Fili began,"Fili..." he began,taking Rina's hand in his before kissing the back of it softly.

"...And Kili,at your service" Kili finished,mimicking his brother's actions and kissing her hand.

She blushed lightly,feeling suddenly self-conscious. Something that didn't happen very often,so instead she introduced herself,"Rina,at your service" she replied.

Naule snapped his jaws and growled at the two brothers,as if warning them to stay away from his mistress. Kili released Rina's hand and held up his own and mock surrender.

"Naule!" Rina scolded playfully,shaking her head at her best friend and constant companion. She then changed the subject to avert the interest of her over-protective companion,"Thorin mentioned you were his nephews," she said.

Fili nodded,"Thorin is our Uncle"

"If he's a king...then what does that make you two?" she asked curiously.

The Oakenshield brothers shared a smirk before replying,"Princes" they said proudly in unision.

Rina rolled her eyes at the ego boost she just gave them and pretended to bow,"Oh do forgive Naule,_my princes_" she said mockingly.

* * *

"Tell me about that friend of yours" Thorin said as he and Gandalf rode side by side at the head of the Company.

The old wizard blew out another ring of smoke after smoking his pipe,"Why so?"

Thorin looked behind him to see his nephews chatting with the woman with smiles on their faces. He then took another look at the large wolf serving as Rina's steed,"I've heard rumors...folk have spoken of one of great power...a raven-haired witch from the North,astride a mighty wolf"

Gandalf regarded his companion with interest,"One with great power you say?And you think she is that person?"he repeated.

Thorin nodded,"I know of no other Rangers of the North who ride a Mountain Wolf as if it was a mere horse"

The wizard hummed in thought,"Your hunch is correct,not only is Rina an old friend of mine,but also an apprentice of sorts..." he said,wondering how much he should tell,and decided not to hide much,"I found her a long time ago,thirty years or so on a visit to Lothlorien..."

Thorin shot him a look of disgust at the mention of the Elven forest,but bid him to continue nonetheless.

"Anyway,it was a dark and stormy night,streaks of lightning appeared overhead every now and then. I stumbled upon the aftermath of a battle at the roots of the mountain. The ground was littered with the bodies of Orcs and surprisingly,fifteen or so bodies of dead Rangers. It seems that whatever Orcs were left had fled after slaughtering the Men," The wizard gained a far off look in his eye,as if traveling back to when it happened," The sight was awful I tell you,yet I heard crying nearby. That was where I found her," he nodded back to Rina at the end of the procession,"-still just a young babe by Ranger standards,but old enough to know what happened- holding onto a dead man. Judging by his appearance I would say that he was he leader of the small party. Once I had picked her up,and wiped away her tears,the storm cleared almost instantly and the clouds cleared,revealing the full moon. The next few days I took her to Lothlorien with me,during that time the weather would change depending on the little one's mood" he seemed to speak highly of the event,hailing it as an important one.

Thorin was filled with pity for the young woman,to already see and witness death at such a young age...it was not right. No babe should have to witness their father die,and by the hands of Orcs to. For that one reason,he could sympathize with her.

"With Lady Galadriel's power we discovered the child had a link with magic" Gandalf continued,"Which explained her uncanny ability to affect the weather at that time. But then again,it wasn't uncommon,the Dunedain were known to use spells and enchantments more than any other Rangers. Still,as the years went by,she began to show more and more power over the weather,expanding that to another element,that of Fire under my tutelage. When we went to Rivendell to consult with Lord Elrond..."

Thorin made yet another face at the mention of elves.

"...he welcomed the girl with open arms,treating her like another daughter. **(A/N I think Arwen was with Galadriel in Lorien during this time)** So to answer your question Thorin,yes, Rina is in fact the Witch of the North that the folk speak of. her power is great,but her control over it is still being improved..."

"...I still do not trust her" Thorin said begrudgingly.

"Good,then you shall live longer..." Gandalf said mysteriously,"With her,it's like walking on the edge of a knife..."

* * *

**Sorry if Rina's history seemed sort of short,if you'd like I'll explain more later on. I had read about the Dunedain and they had in fact use spells of sorts. Thank you for the REVIEWS,FOLLOWS,and FAVORITES,keep them up! **

**-MidnightRaven323  
**


	3. Dark Memory or Beautiful Nightmare?

**Thanks again for all your support :) Sorry for the wait,but I think this chapter was worth it,even though part of it is quite sad.  
**

**The Witch of the North  
**

The Company had been riding for what seemed like days,when in truth it had only been hours,across open plains and rolling hills in the baking hot sun.

"I wish it would rain,hail or snow even!Anything to get out of this god-forsaken heat!" Fili complained as he and Kili tossed a water skin between them.

"Careful what you wish for" Rina warned,a sparkle of mischief appearing in her eyes,so similar to that of Naule's silvery-blue.

The wolf in question looked at the brothers with what looked like a grin,showing a set of razor-sharp teeth. It was as if he had the same idea as Rina,oh how they would get a surprise later...

Kili eyed the large wolf warily,"I swear that thing understands everything going on" he commented,edging away from Naule when the wolf growled at him.

Fili and Rina laughed,"Of course he understands,it's not like he's stupid!" the woman exclaimed,almost appalled by how the prince still thought of her companion as a mere beast,"Unlike some people" she smirked,saying the last part in a hushed tone.

Fili had another round of laughter,hearing the snide remark and nearly toppled off his pony. Sadly,his brother also heard the remark.

"Now now,don't forget whose of higher rank" Kili teased,speaking quietly and using his and Fili's status as leverage against her.

Rina gaped at him offended,but then flicked her hair out of her eyes before scoffing,"Deepest apologies,_my prince_" she replied,sarcasm dripping from every word.

"Hmm" Kili hummed in thought before a smirk stretched across his handsome face,"Apology accepted,and I do like this 'my prince' thing you've started,I must insist you keep calling me that"

"Well played brother"Fili praised.

Rina fixed him with a glare that could melt solid rock,but she was cut off before she could retort,"Best you don't Lass" Balin's voice called back to them,"It would make young Kili think above his station"

That comment caused the dwarf to splutter and scoff,as well as mumble incoherant things under his breath before retreating into silence.

* * *

The night's chill began to settle in the air as the fifteen companions sheltered rocky outcrop. Thorin halted his pony,looking around and listening before deeming the area safe before calling out loud enough for everyone to hear,"We shall stop and rest here for the night"

The dwarves sighed happily at the declaration,glad to have a well earned rest and a chance to cool down after the scorching heat of the day. After tying the ponies to a fallen tree nearby,they settled themselves around the rocks and took the time to sleep or just enjoy being off their ponies' backs.

Rina took the time to take off Naule's saddle of his back and removed the bags he carried. There was no need to remove the bit or bridle due to the fact that there was none to start with. The massive wolf knew where to go and how to behave.

After being freed of the bags,the wolf rolled his massive shoulders before licking Rina's face and wandering to a large boulder nearby. Naule sat on his haunches,facing the boulder before holding up a large paw and began sharpening his claws on the smooth rock.

Rina smiled before gathering the bags in one place before settling against a rock face,near the Oakenshield brothers with Naule's saddle beside her.

"How did you manage to get a saddle for a _wolf_?" a curious voice asked.

The Ranger/witch (not that they knew that yet) smiled up at the curious hobbit tracing the designs on the black leather.

"A friend in Rohan" she replied,"Though it took some persuasion,I managed to convince him to take Naule's measurements and fashion a saddle large and strong enough to fit"

"He must of been a brave fellow" Bilbo said,glancing at the wolf still sharpening his claws on the rock.

Rina nodded,"He was" she confirmed,"After all,Naule's not a_ tame_ wolf"

That caused Bilbo,Fili and Kili to look up abruptly and glanced warily at Naule as he finished sharpening his claws and padded towards the four of them.

Bilbo gave way to the beast as he layed down beside Rina and placed his great head on the woman's lap. The wolf's gaze flickered to Kili before purposely turning away. It seemed like the two shared a mutual dislike.

Not five minutes later after Bilbo left to tend to his pony,a loud howl echoed through the air,waking every sleeping dwarf with a start. Naule leaped to his paws,facing the surrounding area before growling,searching for any intruders and sniffing the air for any unwanted visitors nearby.

"Uh, what, uh, what was that?" Bilbo asked nervously as he turned away from Myrtle,his pony, with the half eaten apple he was secretly feeding her still held in his hand.

"The call of a Warg" Kili said, his keen eyes looking around the landscape for any sign of enemies that the large wolf may have missed.

"Wargs?" Bilbo gulped,swallowing heavily before approaching the brothers and ranger.

"Oh yes. The low lands are crawling with them" Fili answered,both his face and voice void of any traces of sleep.

"They always attack at night. Its easier you see, for them to sneak in to a camp and devour all who lay within it" Kili said,his chocolate brown eyes regarding the hobbit and ranger with weight of seriousness.

"They crave the taste of flesh you see. They lay in wait to pounce on tasty morsels" Fili continued.

Rina fought to suppress a shiver that ran down her spine as an unpleasant memory resurfaced. If her memory served right,there was a pack of wargs being ridden by orcs when she and other rangers had been ambushed. She clearly remembered one of the foul creatures sinking it's teeth into her father. . . she quickly blinked away tears that threatened to surface,she couldn't afford to cry and show weakness.

"You think that's funny do you?" Thorin growled as he rounded on his nephews,"You think its funny, the notion of being butchered by wargs and orcs? You think its funny to torment someone who has never experienced such devastation and bloodshed when you have hardly stepped foot out of my halls yourself?"

"Sorry sir,we did not mean anything by it" Kili apologized quietly.

Thorin shook his head and stalked off,"You know nothing of the world" he turned his back on them as Fili and Kili hung their heads in shame with a look of guilt on their faces.

"Don't worry about him lad" Balin smiled kindly at the dark haired dwarf, "Thorin Oakenshield has more cause than most to hate wargs"

"What happened?" Rina asked curiously as she sat back against Naule,who slunk back to them and layed down behind Rina.

"It was when a legion of orcs attacked and devastated our stronghold of Moria" the elderly dwarf began,"We fought bravely all hours that the day provided, fought beside our King, Thorin's father. The battlefield was stained with blood and both sides were running thin, until _he_ arrived. Azog the Defiler, the pale orc. A brute standing higher than the tallest of men, and thicker too, astride a massive white warg"

Kili's eyes widened a fraction before sneaking a look at the massive wold behind Rina. A wolf of silver,a warg of white. . .coincidence?Or unfortunate family resemblance?

He pondered the thought for a moment before being dragged back to reality by Balin continuing the tale,"The pale orc vowed to wipe out the line of Durin . . . and he started by removing the king's head" a quiet gasp escaped the woman,"Ravaged by grief Thorin fought the beast, using only a broken branch as a shield. He wounded Azog and sent him fleeing back to the hole he came from. It was new lease of life for our troops, and we came out victorious, but we had no cause for celebration for our number of slain matched that of the enemy. And that's when we saw him. . ." Balin looked at Thorin's silhouette at the edge of the rocks,". . . a blood stained prince, reclaiming a city and bringing his people together. That was when we knew we would follow him to the end, and we had found someone we were proud to call our King"he finished.

The entire Company that woke and listened to the story sat in stunned silence,watching silhouette of Thorin who stood broodingly as he looked out at the horizon.

"All of you,get some rest" Thorin commanded softly,keeping that certain memory at bay.

* * *

_A group of at least a dozen Men glad in grey,brown and green cloaks traveled silently through the forests near the root of the mountains. Each one was armed with either bows,spears or swords and moved together quickly through the trees,appearing invisible within the thick foliage._

_"Adar,why must we always travel?" a young girl,barely older than a child asked,tugging on the cloak of one of the Men. The young one,like her older companions,was cloaked and hooded,as well as armed with one long knife.  
_

_"Because,my daughter," the elder said,resting a hand on the girls shoulder,"It is our duty,as Dunedain Rangers to patrol our northern lands and defeat any enemies we come across"  
_

_The girl's brow furrowed,"But Adar,if we patrol the lands to the north,what are we doing this far south?"  
_

_The elder man smiled at his child's questions,"Not all enemies stay in one place. . ."  
_

_Just as he said that,one of the rangers up ahead cried out in alarm,"Ambush!" before a sword was thrust into his gut,spilling his life force on the grass below. The orc who had slaughtered him grinned evilly at his comrades,issuing the order for the ambush to begin.  
_

_The others who had heard the warning drew their weapons an readied their arrows,forming a circle facing the outside,waiting for an attack at a moment's notice. No sooner had they done so had the attack started.  
_

_Out of the bushes leapt a monstrous beast with a putrid orc on it's back. They were followed quickly by others leaping at the rangers from all sides. Blades from both sides clashed an arrows flew through the air,aiming true as they hit their target. _

_Though they were outnumbered,the rangers fought valiantly,slaying and beheading any enemies that came at them. The father and daughter fought side by side,with the elder man cutting down any orcs that came within five feet from his daughter as well as any near himself. Despite being so young,the girl was holding her own surprisingly well and fending for herself,dodging and slipping in between the orcs in a flash,catching their unawares.  
_

_Having the advantage of surprise,the orcs were able to cut down their opponents,though having much trouble. One by one,each ranger fell,each death seeming more gruesome than the last.  
_

_When it was only ten orcs and their mounts against the leader of the rangers and his daughter,the battle seemed lost,even though the pair still battled on with their hearts thudding so hard it seemed ready to jump out of their chests.  
_

_The fight was ended when the largest warg lunged at the leader,sinking it's teeth into his flesh. The orcs grinned hideously at each other before running off,leaving the leader of the pack to deal with the remaining two.  
_

_An ear-spitting scream of despair tore from the young girls as the warg turned it's head away from it's latest kill,baring it's teeth at the girl and showing the red stain of her father's blood on it's huge fangs. She shook with anger and grasped the hilt of her only weapon tightly,intending to run the savage beast through. A howl sounded in the distance and the warg whipped it's head to where it came from before snarling once more at the girl before bounding off.  
_

_Another agonized scream came from the girl as she threw down her weapon and raced to her father's side. The ground all around them was stained crimson by the blood of the rangers that died that day. Tears poured freely down her face as she held onto her father.  
_

_"Adar!Don't go!Don't leave me like Mother did!" she pleaded as the man's breathing got shallower and shallower.  
_

_"Do. . .not cry. . . dear one" her father said,lifting a shaky hand in an attempt to wipe away the child's tears as more blood poured from his wound,"You. . .are stronger. . . than that"  
_

_"Adar. . ." she sobbed,clinging to tightly to her father. In her despair,she failed to notice as dark clouds rolled in as rain began to fall,cleansing the crimson stains on the ground and mixing with the girl's tears. Lightning lit up the sky,followed by a clap of thunder.  
_

_"Hush dear one. . ." her father murmured,willing himself to hold on for a few moments longer,"My time. . . is almost up" he hugged his daughter to him,allowing her to cry freely,"Do not fret. . . I shall give your love to. . . your mother. . . shall I?"another sob escaped the poor girl as she clung on to the dying man,"Promise you will. . .stay. . . strong. . .make me proud. . .we will always. . . love you,Rina" and with that,the ranger's breath faded and he ceased all movement.  
_

_"I promise" she whispered,sobbing when all sign of life exited her father's eyes,"Adar,Adar no!" Rina cried,choking sobs escaping her every now and then as she continued to plead for him to come back,"Please Father,don't leave me!Adar!Don't go!You promised you wouldn't leave like Mother!You promised!"  
_

"Adar!" Rina cried,her forehead covered in cold sweat and her heart beated wildly. When she tried to move she found herself being restrained and out of instinct,attempted to fight whoever it was off.

"Hey,hey!Calm down,it's just me!"

Rina stopped moving,recognizing Kili's hushed voice,so not to wake the others. When she turned her head,she found herself peering into the dwarven prince's dark eyes that held a look of concern.

"Oh,sorry" she apologized,her heart still beating fast from her dream then blushing when she realized he had wrapped a strong arm around her waist and had pulled her against his chest to restrain her when she had panicked.

"It's fine,it was just a dream" he soothed,coaxing her to relax before releasing his hold on her and resuming his previous position keeping watch.

She found herself missing Kili's warmth,finding it relief from the night's chill but didn't object,instead opting to burrow further against Naule's thick fur.

"It wasn't a dream" she sighed softly,"It was a nightmare"

Kili fixed his dark eyes on her lithe frame once again,"Nightmare?Or memory?"

Rina remained silent. To that she couldn't bring herself to answer. The pain was still to much to bear,she had to stay strong.

She promised.

* * *

**I hope that was worth the short wait,but the sad part didn't turn out as well as I'd hope :( but it had a tiny bit of fluff at the end :) Please keep reviewing!**

**-MidnightRaven323  
**


	4. One Does Not Simply Lose a Pony

**Keep the reviews coming in :) I know there's a whole lot of you who followed and favorited this story thank you, but I only had a few review so keep 'em coming!  
**

**BTW in the last chapter,adar= father in Sindarin (when I looked it up)  
**

**The Witch of the North  
**

The next morning,the Company set out once again and readied themselves for a the day of riding up ahead. Rina set her saddle just behind Naule's shoulders,so not to interfere when her mount ran. This wasn't an issue with ponies or horses,for they didn't run the way beasts like wolves or wargs did. When they ran,they seemed to curl before pushing themselves on,not maintain their form like ponies did when running in a trot or gallop.

Rina completed her task in silence,still feeling the after-effects of her nightmare that was still fresh in her mind. That memory was the reason she often skipped out on sleep. It would always appear to her in her dreams,as a nightmare.

As Thorin lead them on,she mounted Naule and held onto the thick fur on his neck as the wolf followed the procession. From behind her,she could feel Kili's concerned gaze almost burning a hole at the back of her head. She hadn't noticed that her silence was gaining curiosity an worry from her traveling companions,every once in a while Gandalf would look over his shoulder to make sure his apprentice was alright. During these times,she gave them a fake smile to assure them she was okay.

Fili noticed the woman's strange silence and decided to voice his concern to his brother,"Any idea what could be the cause of Rina's silence?"

Without looking at Fili,the younger of the two answered ,"She had a nightmare last night. Must have been a terrible one,she had been tossing and turning before waking up with a scream" he purposely left out the part where he had comforted her afterwards.

"A scream aye?" Fili stroked his beard in idle thought,"Strange I didn't wake up"

Kili closed his eyes and smiled,"That my brother,is because you sleep like a log"

A laugh was shared between the brothers as they rode on,"True enough"

* * *

Rina remained silent the entire day,speaking no more than a handful of words at a time until the evening chill began to set in. Then they stopped at a wooded area where the remains of a burned down farm house still stood. The Company stopped their ponies -and wolf- and dismounted,preparing to camp.

"I honestly don't like this place" Rina muttered,coming out of her silent shell.

While the rest of the Company were occupied with their steeds,Gandalf and Thorin conversed quietly near one of the ruined structures. It seemed to be a heated argument,drawing the curiosity of a certain woman. Rina glanced at them out of the corner of her eye and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear,listening carefully.

"It is not safe Thorin" Gandalf said,"We could go to the valley not far off"

"I said we camp here!" Thorin objected as the two continued to bicker.

"Oh,save me the stubbornness of dwarves!" the old wizard huffed as he pushed past Thorin and stalked past the Company.

"Gandalf?Where are you going ?" Bilbo asked confusedly as he sat down on the grassy ground.

"To seek council with the only person around here with any sense Master Bilbo" Gandalf answered tersely.

Bilbo tilted his head in inquiry,"And who's that?" the young hobbit asked curiously.

"Myself!" the wizard answered as he stormed off and disappeared through an intersection of rocks.

"Do you suppose he'll come back?" Bilbo asked nervously. He didn't fancy the idea of being the only one unable to fight amid a group of armed dwarves,even Rina -who was a woman- could fight better than him.

"Of course he will!" Bofur said jovially,trying not to dampen the hobbit's feelings.

"He's a wizard Bilbo" Rina called as she unsaddled Naule before smacking his flank and sending him out to hunt,"They disappear all the time!"

But despite his companions' reassurance,Bilbo remained stony-faced and on edge.

"Fili,Kili!" Thorin's deep voice boomed,his eyes set on his nephews as he came up behind Bilbo,causing the hobbit to jump,"Watch the ponies" the kings voice held a tone of anger,which brothers noticed and obeyed their uncle without a word.

They grabbed their coats and headed to the glen that the ponies were secured in,but not before kissing the back of Rina's hand in a gentlemanly fashion as they passed her by. The woman in question rolled her eyes at the formalities before shooing them away,lest they face Thorin's wrath.

* * *

Bilbo sat on a log,staring at the fire's dancing flames when a knife whizzed through the air,flying straight through the fire before burying itself into the log,right between Bilbo's legs.

The hobbit gasped and looked up in shock and fear,only to be met with the amused face of Rina.

"What was that for?" he demanded.

Rina grinned at him before gesturing for him to get up,"Up you get,you won't last long out here if you don't know how to defend yourself" she said,in one swift movement removing one of her swords from her back,spinning it around once before holding it out by the blade to Bilbo,"Here,it's time you learn"

Bilbo grasped the dark leather hilt hesitantly,admiring the unusual,slightly curved black blade and blood red accents,eyes widening at the crimson ruby in the sword's pommel. He got up slowly and followed Rina to a clear space in the camp.

"That's only one of two" she commented,reminding Bilbo of the sword's twin still on Rina's back,"The one you hold is Aica,meaning Keen. It's twin is Maica,meaning Sharp" she explained.

Bilbo nodded.

"Have you handled a sword before?" Rina question,not turning to face him as she adjusted her gloves.

"There's been no need" Bilbo answered,uneasily shifting his hold on the sword. It was a bit big for him,but he couldn't complain.

". . .I see" she said,drawing her other sword swiftly as she faced him,"You're sword is a part of you. . ." she began,slicing once across herself,and once the other way before twisting her wrist and pointing the tip at Bilbo's throat,". . .Like the sting on a wasp"

Bilbo gulped,reaching up and pushing the blade away from his throat using to fingers.

Rina then began to walk around him,continuing the lesson,"You have to stay focused. . ." she said,". . .So no one surrounds you" she turned to face away from him,so they were turning back to back,swinging her sword to her right side. Bilbo mimicked her actions and did the same,albeit a little clumsily.

So now they had swords facing both right and left.

"Keep your balance at all times. . ." she said quietly as if in a battle,looking over her shoulder at the hobbit,"If you fall. . . " she suddenly dropped down and swung a kick at his legs,sweeping him literally off his feet," . . .you die" Rina finished,already back on her feet with Maica pointed at Bilbo's throat again.

The dwarves who were eating as the last rays of sunlight disappeared snickered at the poor hobbits expense. Bilbo looked around them from the ground,unaware that the Company had been watching the 'lesson'.

"Get up" Rina instructed,removing her blade from Bilbo's throat and stepping back a pace,"Be on your guard,be ready. I won't go easy on you,and neither will orcs if we have the misfortune to run into them" she warned.

Bilbo took this to account and began to get up. However,Rina had already swung at him before he could get up. He held up his sword just in time to block the unexpected attack,surprised by the force of the blow.

She attacked again,forcing the hobbit to scurry back to avoid being hit before being able to jump to his feet. He managed to spin out of the way,now facing Rina's back as she aimed a stab to the air which he would of been.

"Don't -" he panted out,pointing his sword weakly at her. Before he could finish,the ranger had spun around and lashed out at him once again,sparks flying as the two blades collided. Once again they continued on,with Rina doing most of the attacking,pushing on relentlessly as Bilbo kept weakly blocking her attacks.

As the minutes dragged on,Bilbo's actions became weaker and weaker.

"You're not bad" Rina stated with a smile,but then she twisted her sword around Bilbo's in such a way,it flew out of the tired hobbit's hands and into the air. She snatched the sword out of the air and decided to end the fight. Now with both her swords in hand,she flourished both in unison before slipping one behind Bilbo's neck and the other pointed once again, just a centimeter away from his throat.

After panting tiredly,Bilbo noticed that the fight was over and stared at Rina,who had a proud smirk on her face.

"If I stab,you die. I win" she stated,"You did well for a first-timer" she praised,letting the hobbit go before flourishing both swords in unison in a circle at her sides before simultaneously sheathing them on her back once again.

"Th-thanks" Bilbo smiled as both of them rejoined the group.

By now,the evening was long gone and the darkness of night took over,with the only source of light coming from the dancing flames of the fire and the light of the silver moon. The dwarves stayed near the fire where Bombur was stirring a large pot of broth with Bofur beside him,handing out the broth to the ravenous dwarves.

"Gandalf's been gone an awfully long time" Bilbo said worriedly as he took to pacing up and down after eating his fill.

"He'll be back,stop your fretting" Bofur called,filling up two bowls of broth and handing them to the anxious hobbit,"Here,take these to the lads" he pointed his elbow in the direction of the trees the Oakenshield brothers were residing in,watching over the ponies.

Bilbo nodded and took the bowls,but his hands still shook with worry and the hot liquid sloshed over the sides,earning him a stern look from Thorin in disapproval.

Rina sighed,"Give him a break,he's just worried" she addressed Thorin,"Not to mention the beating he went through"

The king dismissed her reprimand as the dwarves snickered,remembering the halfling's rigorous training lesson.

"Here Bilbo,I'll help you" Rina offered kindly,taking one of the bowls and accompanying him into the dark woods.

* * *

The two of them stepped lightly over the twig covered ground,hoping not to startle the two brothers who were standing still as stone with their backs to them staring straight ahead. Bilbo and Rina exchanged confused looks at the brothers' stranger behavior,then deciding to approach them.

"What's the matter?" Bilbo asked,standing beside Fili and looking between the two brothers.

"We're suppose to be watching the ponies" Kili stated,though he hid it well,his voice was laced thinly with panic.

Rina cocked an eyebrow at them,"And?"

"We've encountered a slight problem" Fili continued,"We had sixteen. . . and now there's fourteen"

"You lost two ponies?How the bloody hell did you manage _that_?!" Rina exclaimed,now facing both princes with a pointed glare.

"We don't actually know" Fili groaned,fearing the wrath of Thorin should he find out.

Kili's brow furrowed,"How do we know your _wolf_ didn't eat them?" he asked suspiciously as he stepped up to stand mere inches away from Rina. His dark eyes clashed with her silvery ones as they met in a challenging glare,"If I remember correctly,you sent Naule off to _hunt_"

Rina handed the bowl of broth to Bilbo as she fought against Kili's challenging gaze. This went on for a few moments,during which the woman was well aware of Kili's breath hitting her lips each time he took a breath. She wouldn't let that distract her though as neither looked away nor blinked,though they could here Fili in the background.

"You sure you want to go toe-to-toe with me,eh pretty boy?" she asked.

"Oh drop all this sexual tension" the Fili scoffed,deep down though he was greatly amused.

His comment made the two jump away from each other before righting themselves.

"I'm sure at least once of you would have noticed a five foot tall wolf if they came by here and dragged off not _one_,but_ two_ ponies" Rina remarked.

"Touche" Kili grumbled.

"Daisy and Bungle are missing" Bilbo informed them.

Rina groan tiredly,running a hand through her hair,"Guys," she sighed,"One does not simply loose a pony"

* * *

**Sorry for the long wait,I was busy watching cartoons and anime :P Please review!**

**-MidnightRaven323  
**


	5. Trouble With Trolls and Witchcraft

**Sorry for the wait,but I put up a link on my profile that has Rina's outfit she wears during the quest :) **

**The Witch of the North  
**

"This is not good. Not good at all" Bilbo fretted,eyes flitting here and there nervously as the four of them walked around the 'scene of the crime',"Shouldn't we tell Thorin?" he asked.

"Uh,no. Best not to worry him" Fili answered,observing the pair who had light blushes on their cheeks from his comment earlier. He made a mental note to tease his sibling mercilessly about this later,"Actually,we thought that as our official burglar,you should look into it"

Bilbo spluttered and stuttered,eyes wide in disbelief before observing a fallen tree,"W-well,it looks like something very b-big and rather d-dangerous"

"Yes,that was what we thought" Fili said,walking around the clearing and observing the damage to the vegetation.

Kili and Rina followed him,double checking to see if the older brother or hobbit missed out on anything. Rina bent down low,pressing an ear against the ground and listening carefully,"You three,be quiet for a second!" she hissed quietly,closing her eyes.

It was then that she heard it,her keen ears picking up a sound through vibrations in the ground. Thud. Thud. Thud. Heavy foot falls.

Her eyes fluttered open as she straightened up,glancing at her three companions,"It was something quite big,and heavy enough for me to hear it's foot steps"

"Look!Over there,there's a light!" Fili called to them,sneaking across the undergrowth and crouching behind an uprooted tree. The other three hastily joined him,their eyes transfixed on the fiery light shining like a beacon from behind the trees.

"So?What is it?" Bilbo piped up.

"Trolls" Kili answered,jumping quickly over the fallen trunk to get a closer look at the light,his older brother following.

"At least two,gathered around a fire to be exact" Rina elaborated, followed their lead lead and jumped nimbly over the trunk before doubling back to bring the hobbit to join them.

But before they could reach the cover of darkness,the grotesque form of a lumbering troll cast it's shadow over them as it made it's way past. Bilbo instinctively dropped to the ground to avoid being detected,but Rina made a run for cover,boot-clad feet barely making a sound over the leaves.

Just as she thought she wouldn't make it,a strong arm darted out of the shadows,wrapping around her waist and pulling her to the tree. A gauntlet-clad hand hastily covered her mouth to muffle any sounds that would of escaped her. Freezing instantly,Rina held her breath and turned around to see who had saved her. A stray beam of moonlight past over them,revealing the handsome features of Kili,who's dark eyes were fixed on the troll as it lumbered past them with two more ponies under it's arms.

"All clear" Fili announced silently,emerging from the tree's shadow which he had been hiding in.

Kili and Rina heard his words and emerged from their cover.

"Thank you" she breathed,heart still pounding from the adrenaline and the fact that they had been so close.

"My pleasure" Kili whispered back.

Their small moment was broken by Bilbo's panicked voice,"Oh no!They've got Myrtle and Minty!"

The pair hurried over to the tree that Fili and Bilbo were hiding against,peering through the bushes to where the light from earlier was coming from.

From their place,they could see three large,ugly trolls arguing between themselves around a huge fire,in which sat a large cauldron.

'_Like a witch's cauldron_' Rina thought to herself with a smirk. When was the last time she was able to brew something?When she was last with Gandalf probably. . .

From behind the trolls,there was frantic neighing from the four missing ponies inclosed in a holding pen. Bilbo gre distressed at seeing his pony -which he had become quite attached to- captive and most likely going to be eaten.

"I think they're going to eat them!We've got to do something!" Bilbo exclaimed.

"Yes you should!" Kili answered quickly,his voice feigning innocence,he jumped to his feet before he and Fili ushered Bilbo past them and closer to the trolls clearing,"You are small,and trolls are big and stupid!You'll slip right past them!" he said quickly,ignoring the halfling's protests.

"It's perfectly safe,we'll be right behind you" Kili assured before being cut off by his brother.

"Yes,if you get into trouble,hoot twice like a barn owl and once like a brown owl" Fili reassured.

Bilbo's face contorted into a confused look as he turned to face the trolls. While he was turned away from them,the others darted away faster than thought possible. By the time Bilbo turned around again,they were gone.

"Wait a minute,stop!" Rina exclaimed halting the brothers in their tracks,"We can't just leave him there!"

"We need to get the others" Fili explained,itching to run again.

The woman rolled her eyes,if that's all then I'll go!You two go back there just in case something happens!" she insisted.

"But-" Kili began to protest.

"But nothing!We've wasted enough time as it is,and face it,I'm faster than both of you" and with that said,she darted away as swiftly as a deer before either prince could get a word in otherwise.

Fili groaned,"Fine,let's go" he said before he and Kili made their way back to the trolls.

Hopefully Bilbo hasn't gotten himself killed yet.

* * *

Rina ran like lightning back to the camp,nimbly jumping over the sleeping dwarves in her rush to get to Thorin.  
She began to explain what had happened,and as soon as he heard the word 'Trolls' he wakened the entire Company and ordered them to ready their weapons.

Each dwarf followed his orders without question,each gathering their weapons with fierce looks of determination on their faces.

"Are you sure you want to come Lass?You are a woman after all"

Rina turned to face Dwalin,who had spoken while she double checked that she had all her knives,"Just because I am a woman doesn't mean I'm helpless" she said fiercely,"I've had _more_ than my fair share of battles"

* * *

Within the next few minutes,the Company had ran into the woods,with Rina leading them on to where Fili and Kili were.

"Kili will attack first, and on his cue, the rest of us will get the hobbit back" Thorin said to the Company around him,informing them of the plan. His eyes met his youngest nephew's,who nodded in agreement before resuming his position.

The others hid,waiting for the signal.

Rina watched as one of the trolls lifted Bilbo off the ground. It was then that the young dwarven prince ran out bravely.

Kili boldly stood his ground and yelled,"Drop him!"

"You what?" the troll asked stupidly.

"I said,drop him" Kili repeated firmly.

Rina marveled at the intensity with which he spoke. It showed that he meant what he said,showing compassion and meaning he expected to be obeyed.

She watched from the shadows as the trolls threw Bilbo away,who landed on top of Kili. As soon as that happened,the others rushed in,letting loose their own war cries as they began attacking the trolls. Rina joined in the fray,but hung back as she took out one of the knives around her waist.

Stepping back a few paces,she threw it with great precision at one of the troll's eye.

"Ouch!" the troll cried out,bringing both hands to cover it's injured eye. This left an opening for Bifur,who snuck behind the troll before thrusting his spear into the troll's leg. Rina used the distraction to bring out Aica and Maica,using the two blades to hack at the troll,severing one of it's toes completely.

The woman gagged as the blood came out black and clumpy,the smell reminding her horribly of rotten eggs. Adrenaline rushed through her and the thrill of a fight awakened her instinct as she began slashing at the other trolls along with the dwarves,occasionally aiming knives into the troll's eyes,taking out one eye from each troll.

From her left,she could see that Naule had found them,most likely tracking the scent of blood and was now clawing at the trolls' legs,using his knife-like claws to open up gashes on the trolls that oozed even more blood.

They were about to launch another group attack when frantic shout escaped Bilbo. When they say him,he was being held three meters off the ground by the trolls.

"Lay down your arms!" one of them commanded,pulling at the hobbit's limbs,"Or we'll rip his off!"

Everyone froze in their tracks,glancing at the king for his decision. For a while,Thorin did nothing but glare at the trolls. Rina was afraid he would ignore the demand and would allow the hobbit to be ripped apart. She felt relief fill her as the dwarven king sighed and slammed down his weapon. The others followed his lead,reluctantly parting with their weapons. With great reluctance,Rina layed both her precious blades on the ground,followed by both knife belts.

The trolls dropped Bilbo,his small body landing with a heavy thump on his back. They exchanged sickening grins as the one who was supposedly in charge ordered,"Tom!Get the sacks!"

* * *

Rina's brows furrowed together in irritation as the scratchy material of the sack she was tied in brushed up against her skin. The other dwarves surrounding her fared no better,each one of them was in a scratchy bag with the material tied around their necks with some string and their hands bound within the sack. Even poor Naule had his front and back paws tied together.

Fili and Kili were close by,with Kili tossed beside Rina and Fili face down at her feet. Both princes were struggling in their bags and shouting at the trolls along with Oin ,Gloin,Balin,Bombur and Nori. Thorin was the only other one who remained silent,thinking of a plan just like Rina.

The rest of the dwarves were bound to a large spit and were currently in the procedure of being evenly cooked by one of the trolls over the large fire.

"Why bother cookin' 'em?Why don't we sit on 'em and squash 'em into jelly?" the one of the trolls spoke up.

The other claimed, "They should be sautéed and grilled with a sprinkle of sage"

"We don't got time to worry bout the seasonin'. We got to get these dwarves cooked before the light comes up. I don't much fancy being turned to stone" the troll turning the spit grumbled. The dwarves tied to the over-sized spit howled in fear and sucked their bellies in each time they were hanging upside down facing the fire.

The comment about 'light' sparked an idea in the young woman's head. Rina began to look around the dwarves for Bilbo,finally spotting him wriggling free from under Balin,"Oi!Bilbo c'mere!" she said in a hushed yell.

The hobbit wriggled as fast as he could in his bound state to where Rina lay,giving her a confused look.

"Try to buy us time,okay?Keep the trolls busy as long as you can" she said hurriedly as she began squirming in her sack,trying to reach her boot.

"What?Why?" the hobbit asked,not understanding.

Rina stopped her squirming for a bit before replying,"Just do it,I don't care how just make sure they're kept busy until day break"

It was then Bilbo realized what she meant and nodded in understanding,"And what will you be doing?"

Rina smirked,"You don't honestly think I gave up _all_ my weapons do you?" and with that,she finally grasped what she was looking for and smiled in victory. With a small sound of something tearing,the hobbit caught sight of a slender silver blade poked through the bag Rina was bound in. Bilbo nodded hastily before standing up with great difficulty and hopping over to stand in front of the trolls.

"Wait!You're making a terrible mistake!" he shouted,gaining the trio's attention.

"You can't reason with them!They're halfwits!" Dori's voice called from the spit.

"_Halfwits_?" shouted Bofur indignantly as his beard became dangerously close to the flames,"Then what does that make us?"

"Dimwits!" Rina supplied helpfully,fingers moving quickly to use her knife to cut the thick rope binding her wrists together. Do you know how hard it it to cut rope without moving your wrists?

A few of the nearby dwarves scoffed at her comment.

"I-I meant with the seasoning!" the hobbit lied,plastering a reassuring false smile on his face.

"What about the seasoning?" the trolls apparent cook asked.

"Well, have you smelt them?" Bilbo asked,earning whispers from the dwarves. He had a fair point,they traveled through blazing heat and humid climates so it was normal that they didn't exactly smell like honey and roses,"It'll take a lot more than sage before you plate this lot up!"

A rush of anger went through the dwarves and the whispers got louder with the occasional accusation of 'Traitor!' thrown in.

"What do you know of cooking dwarf?!" the troll turning the spit scoffed.

"Shut up and let the burra-hobbit talk!" the cook snapped,listening intently.

Bilbo smiled and continued the 'cooking lesson' "The secret is to,uh. . .uh " he stuttered,brow furrowing in thought,"The trick is to. . .the trick is to skin them first!"

Outraged cries issued from the dwarves as they started shouting obscenities at the hobbit.

"Tom!Get me the filleting knife" the cook ordered,eyeing the pile of dwarves.

"What a load of Rubbish!" the one turning the spit said ,"I've eaten plenty with their skins on!" he walked away from the spit,leaving Dwalin and Bofur fuming as the flames lapped at their bellies. The troll yanked Bombur up by the bottom of his bag and dangled him above his open mouth, "Nothing with a bit o' raw dwarf . . . nice 'n crunchy!"

Before the troll could bite Bombur's head off,Bilbo piped up,"Not that one!He's infected!"

"You what?" the troll asked stupidly as he removed Bombur's head from his mouth.

"Yeah he's got worms . . . in his . . . tubes! In fact they all have! It's a nasty business. The whole lot of them! Riddled with parasites!" Bilbo improvised.

Roars of outraged denial filled the area as the dwarves shouted to defend their pride and honor.

Rina sighed shaking her head as she managed to nick the last of her bonds,_'Oh the stubbornness of dwarves. . .'_ she mused,hands now free,she snuck her knife back into her boot. She felt Kili jolt as Thorin kicked his heavy boot into his shin,promptly shutting him up with a look that clearly read 'Shut up and play along'.

The woman grinned as the denials changed into agreements and boasting.

The troll holding Bombur made a face and threw the portly dwarf back into the pack, winding Fili and Balin, who had served as a cushion for his fall.

"What would you 'ave us do then? Let 'em all go?" the troll asked.

"Well. . ." Bilbo shrugged.

"I know what you're up to! This little ferret is taking us for fools!" the last troll growled

"Ferret?!" Bilbo cried disbelievingly.

Rina brought a hand to the dark blue stone around her neck and focusing on the fire before she scoffed,"That's because you are fools!In case you haven't noticed,the fire's gone out" the trolls looked back at the spit in disbelief. Rina smirked,the once roaring fire was nothing but smouldering ashes now.

"Wha' the?!" the trolls exclaimed. The cook hurried to start it up again,but once again,as soon as it was bright and roaring again,it snuffed out in an instant. Twice more they did this,twice more it happened.

On the third try,Rina struggled to hold in her giggles as the cook lit it once again before stomping is foot in frustration,"Enough of this!Let's just eat them raw. . ."

A crack of thunder over head jolted the dwarves and hobbit,looking bewildered at the space above the trolls' heads.

"Wha' are you lookin' at?" the cook demanded. Just as he said that,a downpour rained down on him and his companions. Looking up in shock,a three dark storm clouds had appeared over the trolls' heads,complete with a miniature set of lightning flashing occasionally and thunder following after. The downpour however,was not miniature and had already soaked the trolls they were floating above.

"What is this bloomin' Witchcraft?!" the third troll exclaimed as the ranger erupted into giggles. She and Bilbo had bought enough time,the miniature storm clouds above the trolls made them blind to the red light of dawn appearing.

"The dawn will take you all!"

The Company gazed in wonder at the wizard who had appeared standing above a large boulder.

"Who's that?" wondered the trolls. "Can we eat him too?"

"We can try!"

Gandalf slammed his staff into the rock he was standing on,a crack appearing and growing. The crack split the boulder in two,revealing the light of dawn to the three trolls. A crunching sound was heard over the pitter-patter of the rain. The trolls' movements slowed,skin turning a stony grey that spread over their whole bodies before finally becoming stone.

The Company cheered in relief. They would all live another day.

As Gandalf made his way to them,Rina fished out her knife once again and cut a slit through the sack she was in,slipping out through the side and standing up.

While the dwarves waited for the wizard to untie them,they watched in awe as Rina briefly touched the strange blue gem around her neck,muttering something under her breath and with a wave of her hand,the small storm clouds that continued to rain on the stone trolls disappeared.

She knew they would probably question her about this later,but for now,she'd help untie them.

* * *

**Sorry about the wait,I was busy :) Please don't forget to REVIEW and check out the link on my profile. Just copy and paste it into the web search and it will take you straight there:)**

**-MidnightRaven323  
**


	6. Important Note

**IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ NOTES AT THE BOTTOM!  
**

**Heyy,so sorry for not updating in a long time :( I won't be able to update for any of my stories in a while because I'm starting my first day of highschool next week so I'm really nervous. Hopefully I can get at least one update in in a few weeks though!**

**-MidnightRaven323  
**

**P.S,If you've seen the link to Rina's outfit,sorry if some of he things seem sue-ish but I did it on polyvore and I only had a few things to work with :( but her actual clothes were already described in an earlier chapter.  
**

**P.P.S, The thing about her powers,to clear things up so she doesn't seem like a Mary-Sue. Gandalf stated that she has strong powers,yes that's true. BUT, he clearly said she can't control them very well at all. What happened in the last chapter was probably the strongest she could do control wise,anything more complicated than that would either A)Take all her energy out of her,or B) Go horribly wrong and cause more harm than good.  
**


	7. Three Swords From A Troll's Hoard

**Guess who's back~! Anyways,just as luck would have it I checked up on this story a while back and was astounded with how many follows and favourites there were! I love you! So I decided that this would be my first update for 2013,aren't you happy? :P**

**The Witch Of The North**

"They must have come down from the Ettenmoors" Gandalf said, watching the Dwarven king look over a stone troll.

"Since when do Mountain Trolls venture this far South?" Thorin asked out loud,circling one of the three stone trolls with a critical eye.

"Not for an age. Some darker power rules these lands." Gandalf remarked darkly,"They could not have moved in daylight" he added wistfully, looking around the surrounding mountains.

"There must be a cave nearby" Thorin concluded,then stalking off in the direction of where the only female member of their Company was over seeing her wolf. "You,Ranger"

Rina turned to face Thorin,question in her eyes,"Yes?"

"You said you know the land,every valley and stream" he recalled, to which the one in question merely nodded,as if too tired to answer. "Then if it that is true,you'd know whether or not there is a cave nearby"

The woman tilted her head slightly,scanning their surroundings before nodding,"There is. . ." she answered," As I recall,there is in fact one just over there" she pointed in a direction not far off. "But I have never found time nor reason to investigate it. Besides,a foul stench fills your nose should you come into the surrounding area"

True to her word,there was in fact a cave there. And it smelled just as foul and putrid as the woman described.

"Careful what you touch!" Gandalf warned the Company as he led them within the walls of the Troll Hoard,each dwarf not able to refrain themselves from coughing and gagging from the stench of rotting flesh and who knows what else.

Thorin strode to the head of the procession,wielding a torch. He brought the flame close enough to illuminate the ground where a few of the others stood,and much to their surprise,the floor was littered with gold coins.

"Seems a shame jus' ta leave it lyin' around" Bofur commented,opening a chest which revealed more gold coins,"Anyone could take it"

"Agreed" Gloin grinned,"Nori!" he called to the younger dwarf,"Get a shovel!"

* * *

A short while later,after burying the gold for a 'long-term desposit' as they called it, the Company resurfaced to the ground and breathed in the fresh air to wash the stale air out of their lungs. Surprisingly, it wasn't just gold that they found in the hoard, but three swords also, forged by the High Elves a long time ago.

Not to mention that Naule had found himself quite a treat. After the dwarves left,the great wolf began to sniff around before unearthing a rather large bone that he was now chewing off to the side of the Company.

Kili flinched as he and his brother watched the wolf gnaw on the bone that was as thick as a good-sized tree branch,rolling it between his paws and alternating which end it would bite.

"Are you _sure_ that thing is safe?" the dark-haired dwarf asked the wolf's master for what seemed like the fifth time since the 'Pony Incident'.

Rina sighed as she stepped up between the brothers,hands on her hips,"Yes,I'm sure" she answered,shaking her head in an amused manner as she watched her 'over-sized mutt' (as dubbed by Kili) finally snap the bone clean in half.

Deeming the bone finished,Naule padded over to where the trio stood before promptly snorting in the dwarven prince's face.

"Ugh!"Kili groaned,wiping away what landed on him as peals of laughter came from the woman and his traitor-of-a-brother. "That's not even funny!" he huffed.

"Wh-whatever you say,Brother!" Fili managed to get out before another round of laughter took over to him.

"Something's coming!"

As soon as the warning was heard,the laughing pair quickly sobered up and turned serious once more. Their bit of fun was over and the three of them laid hands on their weapons, ready to whip them out at a moment's notice.

"Group together!Arm yourselves!" Gandalf called out.

They quickly did so,fearing the threat of attack. The crackling and swishing of trees came from all directions until a blurred shape flew over half of the Company's heads. They pointed their weapons at the figure,ready to run the intruder through with one signal from either Gandalf or Thorin.

However,the more Rina looked at the figure,she realized it wasn't only just one figure. There were eight figures in total,several that consisted of large rabbits reigned together,leading a sled on which the eighth figure lead,being what looked like a humanoid figure cloaked in brown.

"Radagast!" Gandalf greeted warmly,surprsing the Company,who then re-sheathed their weapons,"Radagast the Brown!"

"Radagast?" Rina repeated quietly,re-sheathing Aica and Maica before coming closer to the two Wizards. Sure she never actually met the Wizard before,but Gandalf had told her stories about a Wizard clad in brown who preffered the company of animals in the forest rather than people.

Barely audible to them, Gandalf asked, "What on earth are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you." He leaned in closely, "Gandalf, something's wrong. Something's terribly wrong."

Rina raised an eyebrow and her curiosity increased, paying very close attention. Should a Wizard say something was amiss, then something was definitely so. She had learned long ago that if a Wizard say something was wrong or out of place, then you should very well listen to them for more often then not, their words were true.

"Yes?" Gandalf inquired.

Radagast shuffled a bit,huffing several times before speaking up,"Just give me a moment"

He paused once more before exclaiming frustratedly, "Oh! I had the thought, but then I lost it. It was right there, on the tip of my tongue" He looked on as his face turned to one of understanding. "Oh, it's not a thought at all; it's a silly old stick insect"

She cringed and was pretty sure she made a face as Gandalf pulled a wriggling stick-insect from the tip of Radagast's toungue. The two Wizards walked away to converse of more important matters allowing the rest of the Company a small breather.

Rina wove her way through the dwarves to her two most frequent companions, who had also been joined by Bilbo.

"Great Wizard,isn't he?" Fili mused,obviously entertained by the recent Wizard's. . . _eccentric_ personality.

Rina just hummed in agreement,perching herself on a moss-covered boulder beside Kili. However,she didn't notice how drained was from using her magic earlier until she nearly topple off her perch and onto Bilbo leaning on the boulder's side below her,had Kili's arm darted out and wrapped around her waist once again,pulling her back to her previous position.

"A bit unsteady there aren't we?" Kili teased,a smirk playing on his mouth as he relaxed his arm but still didn't remove it,in fear of the woman almost falling again.

She merely smiled in return,tapping Bilbo's shoulder with the toe of her boot to gain his attention,"I heard you finally got your own sword,may I see it?"

"Oh,sure!" the young Hobbit said,both proud and afraid of the fact that he was now required to handle a weapon. He grasped the hilt of his new sword,pulling it out of it's sheath and placing it on the woman's outstretched hands.

Rina grasped the hilt firmly,observing the blade. It was vaguely leaf-shaped,with gently curving edges. She payed special attention to the runes engraved on the blade.

"First of all,Bilbo. . ." Rina began,"Technically speaking,this is actually a long-knife by Elf standards, but for a Hobbit like,it is a fine sword" she said,nodding in approval.

Bilbo sighed with relief.

"You see these Runes?" she continued,showing both Princes and Bilbo the engraved Runes,"They are Sindarin letters,'_Maegnas aen estar nin dagnir in yngyl im' _" she read to them.

"So. . .what does that mean?" Fili question in curiosity,saying what the other two were thinking.

Rina smiled, handing the sword back to it's owner. As Bilbo reached up to take it,Rina's silvery-grey eyes met his own as she said:

_"Sting is my name; I am the spider's bane"_

* * *

**Okay,I'm pretty sure that was not the best chapter :( I'm a little rusty with my writing skills,but at least I updated right? **

**IMPORTANT Anyways,I was wondering if maybe anyone would Beta this story? The story could become better with an extra person to help with developing ideas PLUS if you get the spot you get the first peek at the latest chapter/s of The Witch Of The North.**

**-MidnightRaven323**

**P.S If there are any artists out there, is it possible for you to attempt a little fanart for this story? If you do,you have my never-ending gratitude :D**


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